The Houston Texans Team Luncheon is set for Tuesday, August 329 from noon – 2pm with the entire Texans team. Hear from Head Coach Bill O’Brien and top Texans players as they prepare for the 2017 season!

S Danieal Manning
(opening statement) "How's everybody doing? I'm Danieal Manning
and I'm very excited to be here in my home state of Texas, back
home in Houston. I'm around a lot of familiar faces and this has
been very exciting, this whole process. Unfortunately, it was a
long process with the lockout and all that, but I'm glad things are
starting to roll in a way that we can have a good season. This
looks like the Houston Texans are going to be fighting really hard
and getting in the playoffs."

CB Johnathan Joseph
(opening statement) I'm Johnathan Joseph. I'm not a fellow
Houston(onian) or a fellow Texan guy, but I'm from South Carolina.
Like Danieal said, I'm just happy to be here and happy to be part
of this situation that the Houston Texans have going on, and I
think with the addition of both of us I think we're moving in the
right direction and adding pieces to the puzzle to be a contender
for years to come. I'm just happy to be a part of this process and
thankful for the opportunity to be here."

Danieal Manning
(on what he can bring to the team) "For myself, I feel like
experience is number one. I played in several big games, including
the Super Bowl, we played there. You guys around here know a lot
about Peyton Manning. I have my experience with him in the Super
Bowl and things like that. Number two would be my versatility; what
I can bring as a safety and as far as covering guys, my range that
I have and tackling ability. In special teams, being a returner. I
feel like I can bring a spark to the team and give us great field
position there. Like I said earlier, getting us into the
playoffs."

Johnathan Joseph
(on what he can bring to the team) "I think I bring a proven
veteran player to this team. They have a lot of young talent back
in the back end and on defense as well, and I think with the
addition, you can never have enough talent. I think by the addition
of us, proven veteran players, as (Manning) said, he had played
into the Super Bowl and I've had a chance to play into the playoffs
as well. Bringing that experience along for the rest of these guys,
and just helping everyone else get to the next level, which is the
ultimate goal, I think is a plus for this Houston Texans
organization."

(on what persuaded him to come to the Texans) "Myself as a player,
I always like to follow other teams around the league and see what
they have going on in their situations as well. This was my chance
at free agency and once I looked and explored around the league,
I'd seen the Houston Texans had almost every piece to the puzzle,
as far as offense and defense. They were just missing a couple of
pieces in the back end, with the youth back there. To add a couple
of veteran players, I think that was the first thing that lured me
this way because if you put the pieces to the puzzle and they
become the right puzzle, I think the sky is the limit. They could
be contenders for years, and I think that's what we bring."

Danieal Manning
(on the physicality of the NFC and what that translates for him)
"In the 'Black and Blue Division', that's what we called it, it was
tough, but here I think what I can bring is the winning attitude.
These guys have proven that they're physical and stuff like that,
and in the National Football League you have to be physical and
play, especially here in Houston, those guys can play. You have
names, those guys are big time players and just to be a part of
that is big, and just bringing like (Joseph) said, just bringing
the experience we have all around the league and the experience of
just watching this team has been amazing. I'm just glad to be a
part of this experience."

(on if he grew up a Texans or Cowboys fan) "A Cowboys fan. The
Texans weren't out then when I was growing up. It wasn't in
existence. It was the Houston Oilers by that time."

(on who his favorite Cowboys players were) "Growing up it was
Emmitt Smith. I wanted to be a running back just like him. I played
in a Pop Warner league with the same number. I played for a little
team, the Kansas City Chiefs, a little Pop Warner team. I idolized
Emmitt Smith."

Johnathan Joseph
(on what excites him about playing in Wade Phillips' 3-4 defense)
"Just the players that they have on this side of the ball on this
defense, from the defensive line to the linebackers. It's been guys
that have been to several Pro Bowls and All-Pro teams so just being
a part of that is big for me because I've been on a successful
defense but a chance to be on a successful defense for years to
come and part of a great defensive coordinator that we have in Wade
Phillips, is a big opportunity for me, myself."

Danieal Manning
(on what excites him about playing in Wade Phillips' 3-4 defense)
"Me and Wade talked and just his terminology for the 3-4 and him
allowing guys to make plays and be playmakers out there and
statistically he always has those guys either in the top-10 or
top-five in rush defense so that always helps out on the back end
and he got a great core with all those guys that already been here
and I'm just really excited about being here."

(on how familiar he is with the scheme) "I haven't had any
experience with that in the NFL but in college I played in some of
the defenses just like that."

Johnathan Joseph
(on the process of the last few days and what it was like) "Just
being patient. It's a business first and nothing is personal, just
as well as they signed me they could've signed anyone else but I
was their pick and I was their guy. I can't control anything that's
out of my responsibility. My responsibility was to just pick the
best situation for Johnathan and Johnathan's family and by picking
the Houston Texans that was the best situation for me. I think
patience was the key not to jump the gun and think one way or the
other because the media can lead things to be portrayed one way or
the other and I think patience paid off in this decision to sign
with the Houston Texans."

Danieal Manning
(on how much he has seen the secondary and how he will help them)
"I think (S Glover) Quin is a definitely a good player. I think
they have a lot of good guys in the secondary. I just think that
Jonathan and I spoke and what we bring to this secondary is
experience and game time that we have and those guys, definitely
with a little help from us, definitely we can all get the job done
together. I keep reiterating what I said about being excited, I'm
excited to be in here. This is a great opportunity that I have to
pretty much showcase some talent also that I have."

Johnathan Joseph
(on how much he has seen the secondary and how he will help them)
"I want to say the same (Manning) that he said. You have Kareem
(Jackson) who went in the first round as well and Glover Quin, who
is a versatile player who can play safety and corner. You have
Jason Allen, who is a former first-round pick as well so there's
talent back there. That never was a question just having a few more
veterans to help out and lead along the way is the thing that gets
you over the hump in this League and hopefully the addition of us
two will prove to be worthy."

Johnathan Joseph
(on the impact he can bring to the team) "I think over the course
of my career, I have been an impact player for my defense, coming
from a defense that puts a lot of pressure on the cornerbacks to
make plays and kind of carry the defense. We're in a smaller
market so the name may not be known from a lot of people around the
league, but from the people that are making the decisions in the
front office, that got the guys they wanted to get and I'm just
looking forward to making them good on their investment."

(on if there was an offer from his previous team to keep him) "It
was a competitive offer but at the end of the day, you have to
weigh all the options. You know, what your team has in
play. You know the starting quarterback, an all-pro
quarterback, Pro Bowlers, best receiver in the NFL, great tight
end, leading rusher from last year. Look at the D-line.
You've got guys on the D-line that are all-pro players, DeMeco
Ryans, Bryan Cushing. Just a chance to be an addition to that
defense says a lot for me as part of this team. It was a
no-brainer for me."

Danieal Manning
(on if there was an offer from his previous team to keep him)
"Myself included, it was a no brainer for me. I really didn't
get an offer that was of value that was good for me or my
family. I knew from the jump when I hit free agency that I
wanted to come home and be here in Texas, so my dream is coming
true."

Johnathan Joseph
(on the advice he would give to Kareem Jackson) "It's just working
with him. When I came into the League, to the Cincinnati
Bengals, we were the worst defense. We were ranked 32nd in
pass defense in the League. The last two years, we were 15th,
12th and fourth overall, so I think it comes with time and
experience. He was thrown into the fire as a young player and
you learn with experience, so I'm definitely looking forward to him
having a better year in his second year and moving forward in his
career."

Danieal Manning
(on the work he put in during the lockout) "Pretty much just
running, lifting weights and working out. I never got back
with those guys that were working out. I didn't really
workout with a lot of teammates, so I pretty much had it on my
own. I had some guys work out with me at the college and
stuff like that, but I was just staying in shape and trying to
figure out what team would fit me best."

Johnathan Joseph
(on the work he put in during the lockout) "Me personally, I was
back in South Carolina training with a few fellow guys in the NFL
as well. The offseason was a little long and rigid because
normally you know you have your off time that you can take a
vacation or anything, but with the lockout going through, there
weren't any breaks because you never knew when they would say the
lockout was over. Training the whole offseason was pretty
much my main priority."

(on if he researched every team interested in him or just the
Texans) "I don't know the exact words for that, but I just like to
follow the League. I can tell you guys' names on plenty of
teams around the NFL. I'm not just one of the guys that plays
football. I study the game and watch other players because
you can never know enough, so just by knowing that it helps me
along my game as well."

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